


Key to his Heart

by BeStillMySlashyHeart



Series: AK ficlets [10]
Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-10 11:25:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19502260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeStillMySlashyHeart/pseuds/BeStillMySlashyHeart
Summary: When the going gets rough the rough get married?Deran faces facts and accepts that Adrian is in trouble. His solution? Marriage, because why not?





	Key to his Heart

Deran slammed the door behind him as he stomped into the house. He dropped his keys on the counter and ripped his jacket off, tossing it towards the coat rack rather than taking the two steps necessary to hang it up.

He stood in the middle of the kitchen, his hands on his hips, staring out the glass door to the back deck. It was a beautiful sunset tonight, the last rays of the sun glinting off the water and lighting the world in swaths of orange and pink. Adrian’s hair had never looked so red, the light catching it perfectly as he stood braced against the railing.

Deran detoured through the bedroom, rifling through his go bag for the small box he knew was in there. Feeling the rough wooden edge with his finger he gripped it tight and quickly stepped through the sliding door to join Adrian on the deck.

He stopped and drank in the sight of him, his breath catching in his throat. If he’d thought the sunset was beautiful before, now it was breathtaking. 

Literally.

The ray’s weren’t just reflecting off Adrian’s hair, they lit his body up in the warmest of colors until he positively glowed, his eyes positively sparkling. 

“Marry me,” he breathed, unbidden.

Adrian froze and turned slowly to face him, the beer bottle frozen halfway to his lips. “What?” 

Deran shook his head and took a step closer. “Marry me,” he said again, his voice firmer this time.

Adrian blinked. “ _What?”_

Deran shifted his feet. “I didn’t think that was a question that needed an explanation.”

“You tore out of here two days ago and no one’s seen you since. You wouldn’t answer my calls. I tried Craig and Pope and neither one of them had seen you. And you just show up and _ask me to marry you?_ What the hell, Deran?”

“I needed time to think, okay? Sorry, I should’ve called.”

“Yes, you should’ve. I mean I get that you needed to think but- but- why the fuck are you proposing? Now? After what I told you?” Adrian shrugged a little helplessly, his face visibly torn between frustration and bewilderment. It was like he couldn’t decide which one to feel right now and so he kept flipping between them. Deran watched his emotions play across his face and huffed a little laugh. Adrian wasn’t the worst liar in the world (though he was pretty bad) but he may have the single worst poker face possible. 

“You didn’t tell the cops anything, did you?” 

Adrian shook his head. “No. I told you I didn’t.”

Deran nodded. “And I believe you. You had the opportunity to turn on us and you didn’t. Even though it might mean you have to go to prison.”

“Deran, I could never do that to you.”

“I know,” Deran assured him. “But it might be a good idea to have some insurance in case you’re ever cornered again.”

Adrian eyes him warily. “What do you mean?”

Deran tugged the folded up paper out of his back pocket and waved it in the air. “Spousal immunity. Spouses cannot be force to testify against the other in criminal court. If we get married, no one can force you to turn evidence against me, it can’t ever be part of a deal.”

Adrian took a step back, shaking his head. “Are you kidding me? You proposed to protect yourself?”

 _Shit_. 

Deran thrust the small wooden box in front of him. Adrian stared at it, his eyes flicking from the box to Deran’s face.

“What is that?”

“Open it.”

Adrian shook his head slowly.

“Please, Adrian. Just open the damn thing.”

Adrian clenched his jaw, still eyeing the box warily before he took the two steps necessary to reach Deran. His hand was shaking slightly as he took the box from Deran but he didn’t open it.

“I don’t want it like this, Deran. I don’t want a marriage based on skirting the law.”

“Open it,” Deran repeated, his voice soft.

Adrian swallowed and searched his eyes before nodding. He put his bottle down and slowly opened the box. Deran knew when he’d seen the contents because his body tensed.

“This isn’t how or why I thought about doing this. You deserve better. Something not tied up in my family’s business. But we don’t have that luxury right now and I’m sorry.” Deran paused, waiting to see if Adrian had anything to say but Adrian didn’t look away from the box, his mouth gaping open. “I promise you, this is not because of Pearce and your smuggling or your deal. The timing maybe but not the proposal. Not me wanting to marry you.”

“Deran,” Adrian choked out. He turned the small box upside down and dumped the contents into his palm and let the box clatter to the deck. In his hands was a small ring fashioned out of an old bit of metal. “This is-” he stopped and turned it over. “This is our-”

He looked up at Deran, tears shining in his eyes. Deran could only nod.

“We were only in Belize for five weeks but it was long enough. Long enough for me to fall in love with you, to know that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I fucked up along the way, I know, and I can never take it back but I am trying to be better. I am trying to be someone who deserves you.” He stopped and cleared his throat. “I left Belize knowing that I wanted to marry you. It was a pipe dream, honestly. I never thought I’d ever get to the point where I could admit it but I knew a guy and I asked him to make a ring anyway. Actually, I had him make two.” He jerked his head back towards their bedroom to indicate the location of the other ring.

“You made me an engagement ring out of the keys to our bungalow in Belize? Four years ago?” Adrian asked, gobsmacked.

“I want to marry you Adrian, I’ve wanted to marry you since Belize.”

“Okay.”

Deran’s heart skipped a bit. “Okay?” His voice was higher than normal.

Adrian laughed and nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay’s not usually one of the responses you know,” Deran pointed out, some part of him apparently aching to hear Adrian say the right word.

Adrian shook his head, his laughter softening as he tugged Deran into a kiss. 

“ _Yes_.” He whispered into the space between them when he pulled away. “Yes, Deran, I will marry you.”


End file.
